"Which means that your going to have to use The Maiden." Noel looked at Donovan.

Donovan holds his hands out as if to ward off Noel. "Oh fucking hell...no. The last time I used that thing, I couldn't lay down for a week."

"We don't have a choice Donovan. We have to be accurate, there is too much at stake." Noel replied in a almost apologetic tone.

"Bleeding...fucking...hell..." Donovan stated in resignation, his cockney accent becoming more pronounced with each word.

"Would someone mind telling me what the hell you two are talking about?" Camilla asked with a raise eyebrow.

With a dejected look on his face, Donovan turned and started down the hallway, his head hung low. Noel motioned for Camilla to follow, as he put his arm around Donovan's shoulders, whispering words of encouragement like a boxing manager psyching up a boxer for a match.

Donovan opened one of the many doors in the hallway and they found themselves stepping down a tight spiraling metal staircase until they came to a small room. Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, man-sized, wooden and metal box. The wood appeared to be petrified due to centuries of aging within the confines of the stark room.

Noel stopped Camilla from coming any farther into the room, spoke some more whispered words to Donovan, who then walked around to the side of the box, and began taking off his long overcoat, while Noel walked back over to Camilla.

"You mind telling me what the hell is going on?" She asked in a irritated tone.

Noel did not seem to notice her irritability. "Well, that particular box is called The Maiden. The very box that was used to torture the late great Marcus Atilius Regulus, a great Consul and General of the Roman during the First Punic Wars back in something like 250 BC as told by another Great Statesman Tertullian."

"What? Did they bury him alive in it?" Camilla asked.

"Oh, no." Noel stated as he stepped over to the box and opened its two hinged doors, revealing the crusty, and rusted, metal spikes that were driven into all sides of the box. "It's far worse that that."

"Rest your knickers Doll. I know my place in the scheme of things." Donovan stated as he came around from the other side of the box...completely naked.

Camilla's eyes widened again in shock, but not only for the fact that he was naked, but for the fact that nearly every inch of Donovan's body was covered in tattoos. Runes of Dark Magic, Light Magic circled and coalesced around one another, seemingly blocking and neutralizing one another, all of them converging around the Dark and Light glowing symbols that she had glimpsed earlier.

"Like what ya see?" Donovan stated shamelessly.

Camilla averted her eyes and sighed irritably. "I see you haven't lost your boorish behavior with your clothes Donovan."

"Aww, come on Love. Give us a wiggle before I have to step into that fucking thing...you know...for luck." Donovan stated unblushingly.

"You are absolutely incorrigible, you pompous, egotis..." She spun around on him, and immediately stopped her rant, as she looked into Donovan's eyes, and for the first time she saw...fear.

"Time to go Donovan." Noel quickly turned Donovan around and escorted him to the box.

Donovan stood before the maiden, and took several quick breaths, as if steeling himself for what is to happened. He then stepped into the box, his feet resting on the only place where there were no spikes. He turned around, looking first at Noel, and then slowly to Camilla. A quirky, twisted smiled crossed his lips.

"Fucking...hell." He whispered. "Do it!"

Without hesitating, Noel slammed the two doors shut.

Within the small, enclosed, room. Donovan's scream was positively deafening.

Alice sat down in one of her apartments, this one, in Seattle, Washington, her hometown. It had been a while since she had had the time to come home, but with the payday she was going to be making off of this job, she could afford some downtime. Downtime was good, Alice needed it. She had a glass of water and she took a sip from it. She turned, suddenly, as she realized that she wasn’t alone.

“Alice, my fair child.” Ravenstone said, as he walked through one of the doors of the rooms in her apartment.

“Lord Ravenstone.” She said.

He waved a hand, rolling his eyes in a lazy manner as he sighed. “There’s no need to call me a Lord, we’ve been over this. It’s boring, your pretense at obedience. We both know you’re obedience is to the money.” He said. “Now, did you get it?” He asked.

She nodded, reaching into one of her pockets. Taking out the cloth, she dropped it into his waiting hand. It disappeared into his suit.

“Speaking of which, where’s my money?” She asked.

“Money, money, money. Why is it always money?” Ravenstone asked, a gleam running in his eye. “Why is that all you ever want, Alice?”

“Because I like food.” She replied, impatiently.

“They were fooled.” Ravenstone said, smiling, as he walked around her apartment, looking at the various pieces of art that she had on the wall. “That’s peculiar. Because few things get past Noel. Donovan, maybe, same with Camilla. But Noel has the most experience out of everyone on the planet, if not the highest level of insanity. For you to get past him, that’s incredible. Unless you didn’t.” He said.

“What…what are you talking about?” Alice said, taking a step back.

Suddenly she found herself constricted, as if invisible blocks had affixed themselves to her legs, and chains had wrapped around her body. Ravenstone was a few inches taller than she was, and he leaned in, taking a long, appreciative sniff, his eyes on her own the entire time. “I can smell them on you, you know. The residual magicks that they used, I can smell it.” He said. “What did you tell them?” He asked, his voice polite and sweet.

She shook her head, the only motion that she was capable of doing, since the rest of her body seemed to be locked in place. There was a look of terror in her eyes and Alice did her best to clamp down on it. She knew what happened to those who showed fear in front of Ravenstone.

“I didn’t tell them anything.” She said.

“Lies.” He said, snapping his fingers and she was dropped to her knees. “Lies and more lies!” He said, his voice crescendoing with volume and animosity. “People always talk, you’re a squealer, Alice, you always have been.”

“What are you…what are you talking about?” She asked, her eyes widening. “I never talk, you know that. That’s what you liked about my work.”

“Did I?” He asked, curious. “Is that what I liked about your work?” He asked. “You know how much I admire loyalty.”

“What makes you think I talked anyway?” She asked, and Ravenstone stood in front of her.

“Because you went into the House of Mystery. It has nothing to do with the owner, or the fact that Noel was there.” Ravenstone replied.

Her eyes lit up. “So you sent me on a suicide mission. You knew I was going to get trapped.”

Ravenstone smiled. “People are expendable and certain people are certainly expendable. You, fair child, fall under the latter. Now, we both know that I can’t exactly take back what I’ve given you. It was a gift, teaching you the Method. But what I can do, what I will do, is remove you as a liability.” He said, reaching out and placing his hand on her forehead.

There was a glow.

Then there was a scream.

You know it's a bad day when you jump out of bed and miss the floor.
"I declare War!!"~Peay

His screams seemed to echo even within his own mind as first darkness, then blinding light that comes from the agonizing pain streaks through his entire body and spirit. Then a sudden, and abrupt silence. As if life had suddenly hit a brick wall, and everyone is waiting in anticipation for the ambulance to arrive and pick up the remains of the victim.

But then a heat begins to arise around him, as first seemingly on a gentle breeze, but the breeze turns into gusts that strike him harder and harder, trying to burn and blow him over at the same time.

Slowly Donovan opens his eyes, and immediately wishes he would have kept them closed. He finds himself standing in a world filled with the orange glow of a sky that looked wounded and dreary. Black clouds twist and swirl in the sky above him, with brief glimpses of a sky turned into a burning afterglow of a holocaust of worldwide proportions. The horizon in front of him is pierced with the blackened husks of skyscrapers, most of which are missing entire sides, or have gaping holes punched through them showing the orange glow of sky behind them. Off in the distance, he can see plumes of black smoke rising from another city that is on the other side of a roiling steaming bay of brackish water. Recognition of the obliterated skylines suddenly crosses his face.

"Bleeding Metropolis and Gotham..." Donovan seems startled by his own declaration. His hands shake slightly as he pulls out a cigarette cups his hand to block the wind, and lights it.

He looks down and sees that he stands in the middle of what use to be the main highway into Metropolis. Four lanes of cracked and blistered asphalt lead straight into the heart of the burned out city. Sighing heavily, he gathers his wits and begins to walk down the road, like a man who's vehicle broke down and he's in search of a gas station when he squints his eyes, holding his hand over his brow to cut down from the burning orange glare.

Ahead, shadowy figures appear lining both sides of the highway, as his vision adjusts, his eyes widen as the first of what looks like an endless line of crosses line the highway on each side. Upon each one, is a person or being...or more exactly as he begins to recognize them...heroes and villains alike, nailed to each. Worse...they are all still alive.

"Help...us..." Captain America cries out weakly, as not only is his hands and feet nailed to the cross, but his shield is nailed to his chest with a spike right in the middle of the star at its center.

"Donovan...for God's sake...kill me!" Alex Burke cries out from his own Iron Man mask, with his suit nailed to the cross, but acting like a iron cage, unable to move, as the black ravens settle on various areas picking at his blackened and decaying flesh underneath.

Conner Queen is next, his body pierced to his cross by a myriad of arrows from his hands, down the length of his arms and all the way to his feet. "Please...make it stop..." He murmurs weakly.

On and on, plea after plea comes from them all as he continues to walk down the highway. Mutants, Aliens, humans with vast powers that were attained or born with, all of them crying out for Donovan to end their suffering. But Donovan keeps walking, and then notices the massive wall that now surrounds the blasted city, at the end of the highway. It is there that Donovan finds a massive gate, and the final victims to whatever befell all those nailed to crosses along the way.

To one side Superman is nailed to his cross by brightly glowing spikes of what appears to be Kryptonite in his hands and feet, and on the other side Batman is unmasked and nailed to his cross with his own batarangs.

"Bleeding Mother Mary and Jesus..." Donovan exclaims, as he then notices that Noel is nailed to one side of the gate, and Camilia to the other. Both have heavy metal hooks that pierce their chests, with a equally heavy metal chain that connects them together.

The gate suddenly cracks open in the middle, burnt orange light creases and shines through the gap at the gate groans and creaks open...the chain between Noel and Camilia begins to take up the slack as the gate opening widens.

"NO!" Donovan screams, throwing his hand up as if his feeble attempt would stop the gate from opening.

The chain tightens and both Noel and Camilia scream as their bodies are literally ripped apart, their rib-cages horrifically ripped from their very bodies.

Donovan falls to his knees, his hands covered his face so that he would not see, but their screams continue, unceasingly and tortuously.

"You have a 'huge' set of balls to come here Donovan...or should I say Constantine." A course a raspy voice intones all around him as if carried on the very burning winds itself. "This world is now mine, and there is nothing you, nor your insignificant heroes can do about it. As you can see, 'I' am now the Sorcerer Supreme, and all is mine."

Slowly Donovan raises to his feet. He looks through the gate, purposely not looking at the desecrated, and still screaming, remains of his friends. He steels himself, lighting another cigerette and blowing out a stream of smoke. "You just fucked up mate." He states matter of factly, not even attempting to brush the tears that fall from his eyes.

Booming laughter surrounds him, as he looks up towards what is the remains of the Daily Planet building. He can faintly see a figure standing just below the huge damaged globe that is there. There is a sharp greenish glow that seems to surround the person there.

"And just what could you possibly do to stop me Constantine? The old scam of drinking a magical beer to defeat the Chrell has been used. And I'm not going to fall for whatever con you pulled on Satan, which...by the way, I don't suppose you would share that little bit of story with me."

"Go fuck yourself." Donovan snapped at the mysterious figure. "I don't know what you did, but I'll find a way to stop you. If I have to hamstring the Pope himself, your a dead man. I'm going to cut you in half and deliver one half of your living corpse to Satan, the other half to God."

Again the laughter resounds around him, but there was a hint of concern in the laugh, or so Donovan thought. "You're assuming I'm going to allow you to leave my domain Constantine. I reign supreme here, none can leave here without my leave."

It is then that Donovan's mischievous grin reappears on his lips. "Wanna bet?"

((I'm going to leave this open ended to see if Foxx wants Donovan to rescue Alice, if he kills her that is))

The greenish glow faded, as red smoke convalesced around the person. The being strode forward. He was tall, impossibly tall, but as he came into view, he began to shrink down in size, so that he was only ten feet tall. He peered down at Constantine from three sets of shining yellow eyes.

Red skin. Horns. Black hair.

“Trigon?” Constantine asked. “I did not see that coming. Really, I didn’t. I thought this was going to be like Mephisto or someone more dangerous, you know?” He asked, as he fished around in his pockets and produced his lighter, tossing it up and catching it, repeating the motion as if to show how bored he was by Trigon’s presence.

The demon lord laughed, a low rumble that shook the ground. ”Your humility is renowned, and well documented.” He said. “Now, let’s discuss how you’re going to die.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Triggs. I’m safe and sound in the House of Mystery.”

”Your body, yes, yes, of course. But not your soul.”

Donovan’s eyes changed. He bobbled the lighter and but managed to hold on, looking up at the large demon as Trigon strode towards him. The demon reached out, holding a large hand in front of Constantine’s face. It was a closed fist, and Trigon extended his index finger, touching Constantine’s forehead. There was no effect, at least no physical effect. Then again, none of this was happening in a physical sense. But Donovan did feel an effect. He felt his temperature starting to rise, as if his blood was starting to boil, if that were possible.

”You’re in an Iron Maiden, in the House of Mystery. I walked through those halls once, you know.” Trigon said.

“You were invited.” Constantine said through gritted teeth. “Not by me, but from the last guy to own the place.”

”I played nicely. But so did he…for the most part.” Trigon replied.

“What is going on?”

Constantine turned to see a murky figure in the red smoky shadows that permeated the area. He couldn't see who the person was, but the voice belonged to a woman.

”This does not concern you, daughter.” Trigon said.

“What do you mean? That man should not be here.” She said. “You didn’t tell me that a tethered soul could visit our realm.”

“Worried I’m going to steal your baby girl?” Constantine asked, wincing from the pain to his very soul. “She doesn’t have six eyes like you do, does she?” He asked.

”Do not concern yourself with my daughter, mortal. Why are you here, Constantine What do you want?” Trigon asked.

You know it's a bad day when you jump out of bed and miss the floor.
"I declare War!!"~Peay

Camilla watched Noel with a concerned gaze as he focused his concentration on the maiden and its current occupant. She cautiously placed her hand upon the cold metal of the torture device, and was immediately jolted by the energies swirling within. A small gasp escaped her lips as she recognized the powerful dark energies mingling with Donovan's. "Trigon! Dammit Noel, this is madness. Why is Donovan messing with that demon...and in his own realm to boot?!"

"Hush Child." Noel coddled her, as his hand began to glow with a bluish aura, which began to spread slowly across the entirety of the metal device. "Timing is of the essence in this little play. If I do not act at the precise time, I could lose them both."

"Both?" Camilla questioned

"Dear child, there is a rhyme and a reason for everything." Noel stated with an almost condescending tone. "Now please, let me concentrate."

Trigon's Realm

"Well, you know me. I'm always scouting out a Retirement Home Community where I can look forward to resting in. So far, I'm going to have to say that your place has some gardening issue. I want a place with a better view." Donovan states while he casually steps closer towards the shadows where Raven stood between two more crosses. These two crosses had Daredevil nailed to one, his eyes bursting with gouts of flame, and The Punisher to the other, his chest impaled by all manners of blades.

He taps out a cigarette from his pack as he cautiously makes his way up a pile of smoldering debris that is next to Daredevil's moaning form. "You mind pal?" he asks the writhing blind hero, who turns his head towards Donovan's voice. Donovan then leans forward and lights his cigarette from the flames coming from his eyes. "Much obliged buddy." He blows the smoke downwards into Daredevil's face.

"Semantics. We all know who and what you truly are Constantine. Your denials are nothing but falsehoods, much like your attempt to come here and glean some sort of advantage in the contest to determine who shall become the new Sorcerer Supreme."

Donovan shakes his head in a exasperated gesture. "Then you bozos don't know me well 'enough'. For such a big head, you sure don't have too many marbles rolling around in there. I have no want or desire to be the next David Copperfield of Sorcery. I don't want to be involved at all." Taking another long drag from his cigarette, he blows even more smoke downwards in the area where Raven stands.

The House of Mystery

Noel places his hands over the doorway to the maiden, his fingertips touching the time-worn ancient glyphs in the wood. "Hurry Constantine..." He whispers through clenched teeth.

"Noel?" Camilla asks, her face etched with concern, her eyes moving between both the man inside the box and the man outside.

The aura around Noel brightens, as if in anticipation, the glyphs suddenly begin glowing a brilliant blue, as as the aura surrounding him begins to seep off of him and filling the etched glyphs.

Trigon's Realm

"Unfortunately..." Donovan continues, blowing out another large cloud of smoke from his lips, which joins the rest below. Neither Trigon nor his daughter notice that a slowly swirling haze of the smoke now wafts between the two crosses...and has enveloped Raven, he finds herself blinking her pupiless eyes due to its smoky nature. "...People keep fucking dragging me back into things. Which...by the way...is very fucking painful."

Donovan suddenly flicks his lit cigarette at the feet of Raven and leaps from atop the debris pile he was standing on. "NOEL....NOW!!" He screams as he lands at the very same time the cigarette makes contact with the smoky air. The cigarette ignites the hazy fog of smoke into a thunderous explosion of flame that resolves itself into a swirling tornado of fire and streaking bands of bright blue energy.

"CONSTANTINE....NO!!!!" Trigon roars in fury as he reaches towards his daughter, his gleaming black claws whistling through the air to cut Donovan down where he lands. The bright blue bands of energy lash out at Trigon's hand and batter it back, knocking the demon backwards several steps.

Meanwhile within the swirling torrent of fire and mystical energies, the blue bands surround Raven, his bright blazing eyes wide in shock and dismay. "Father!!" She reaches out to Trigon until a band of energy pulls her arms down to her side and wraps her tightly within a brilliant energy cocoon.

"Sorry to abduct and run Red. I really do hate leaving your little Disneyland of Delusion that you have created for yourself here. But I got 'alot' of pain to look forward to...and its not just looking at your fucking ugly ass mug. Tah" Donovan flips Trigon his middle finger which has a ornately runed ring on it. The blue gem in its middle begins to glow brightly, it's light pushing back even the most remote shadow surrounding him and his captive.

"The Blue Agate of Kali!!" Trigon roars out in terrifying fury. "DONOVAN!!!"

"That's the name Mate. Don't wear it out." Donovan smiles, and it is the last thing Trigon sees before the swirling mass of flame and energy coalesces down into a single pinpoint of light and disappears.

The House of Mystery

There was an audible 'Whumph' from the iron torture device, which caused it to literally rock on its base. Noel leapt backwards as the door to it flung open, from the door portion, the limp form of Raven fell forward, which Camilla barely able to step forward in time to catch her. But when she looked in the other half of the box, she took an huge intake of air in dismay.

Donovan stood in the maiden, nearly every part of his body had a spike piercing through his skin, with the exception of his head. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth hung ajar in what appeared to be a soundless scream of agony.

"Kali demands great suffering as payment for her mercy." Noel stated and stepped forward to get Donovan out of the horrific device.

Raven scrambled backwards, as steam and smoke rose from her skin. She gasped for air, hyperventilating, her eyes wide as she stared at what Noel and Camilla were doing. They were attempting to pry Donovan out of the device, and she watched, though she wasn’t actually paying attention. Her mind was too preoccupied with what was going on inside of her. She was a demon, well, a half demon. More importantly than that, she had never been on earth before. Everything around her, all of it, was completely foreign to her. Raven wasn’t even sure she was breathing properly, but so far, she wasn’t suffocating, and that was a good sign. Crawling backwards, she used her hands to drag her body until she was up against a wall.

Better to have something at your back than be able to be easily surrounded. Life in her father’s realm had been hell, pun not intended, and despite being the daughter of the ruler, there had still been plenty of people who had come after her with the intent of killing her.

“What…what was that?” She asked.

“Quiet.” Noel said, his back to her. He was preoccupied with Donovan, and the spikes that were in his body.

“Someone tell me what the hell is going on? Where am I?” Raven asked. “Who are you people? How did you beat my father?”

“You’re in the House of Mystery. As you can see, I’m quite busy with the man with the spikes in his body.” Noel replied, starting to mumble a healing incantation. “So bugger off for a bit.” He added, before turning back to Donovan. "Camilla, see to her." He said, waving a hand in the direction of Raven.

"Can you give me some answers?" Raven asked Camilla.

You know it's a bad day when you jump out of bed and miss the floor.
"I declare War!!"~Peay

“Answers, right.” Camilla said, her eyes still on Donovan and Noel. “That’s a bit difficult, mainly because my knowledge of the situation is limited. Why don’t we start with who you are and let’s figure this out together?” She asked.

“My name is Raven.” The girl said. “I am the daughter of Trigon, the master of the realm I was kidnapped from.”

“Donovan, why are you kidnapping teenage girls?” Camilla asked, as she looked over the strange markings that covered Raven’s arms.

Raven was dressed in tattered clothes, that looked more like the dress of a vampire or gothic novel heroine than anyone in the modern day.

“They get daddy issues as soon as they hit eighteen.” He managed to say weakly, grimacing from the pain he was in.

Camilla reached out and touched one of the glowing red markings on Raven’s arm. As soon as she did, similar markings appeared on Camilla’s arms and Raven gasped.

Raven’s eyes widened as she pointed at Camilla, scrambling a bit backwards. “The mark transferred to you.” She said. “What are you?”

“Annoying.” Donovan mumbled as Noel rose from his crouch to hunt around for a first aid kit or medical supplies of some kind.

Camilla turned and shot him a look. “For a man with spikes in his body, you seem rather talkative.” She said.

“I’m magic.” He said.

“How did the mark transfer to you?” Raven asked, as the sigils on both of their arms continued to glow red. “I don’t understand. They can’t do that unless you…You have great power, don’t you?” She asked as Noel returned, the House of Mystery having provided Noel with what he needed to help the house’s master.

Camilla shrugged. “Haven’t met someone with more yet.” She said. “I seem to have a weird connection with the supernatural.”

Raven shook her head, still rather in disbelief. “Who are you people?” She asked. “I want to go home.”

You know it's a bad day when you jump out of bed and miss the floor.
"I declare War!!"~Peay